MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang made a significant addition to his 2024-25 roster with the signing of impact transfer guard Dug McDaniel (Washington, D.C./St. Paul VI Catholic VI/Michigan) to a Financial Aid Agreement on Wednesday (April 3).
A 5-foot-11, 175-pound guard, McDaniel arrives at K-State after 2 seasons (2022-24) at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines in scoring (16.3 ppg.), 3-point field goals (56), assists (4.7 apg.), steals (1.1 spg.) and minutes (35.4 mpg.) as a sophomore in 2023-24. In his 2 seasons in Ann Arbor, he averaged 12 points on 40 percent shooting (255-of-639), including 36.3 percent (89-of-245) from 3-point range, to go with 4.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.8 minutes per game while playing in 60 of a possible 66 games with 52 starts.
“It’s always a great day to be a Wildcat but even better when you get to welcome a player like Dug and his family to K-State,” said Tang. “Obviously he’s a tremendously skilled basketball player with a history of winning at both Paul VI and Team Takeover. When you combine that with playing two years in the Big Ten at Michigan it made him a priority for us as soon as he became available. Dug is not only a high-level scorer with the ability to create for his teammates, but a tough, relentless player who can also be a disruptor on the defensive end. Our fans are going to really enjoy getting to know him and his family.”
McDaniel is the second player to sign with the Wildcats for the 2024-25 season, following the signing of consensus top-50 high school prospect David Castillo (Bartlesville, Okla./Sunrise Christian Academy [Kan.]) on Nov. 8, 2023.
In all, McDaniel scored 717 points in his Michigan career on 40 percent (255-of-639) shooting, including 36.3 percent (89-of-245) from 3-point range, and 77.1 percent (118-of-153) from the free throw line to go with 243 assists (4.1 apg.), 201 rebounds (3.4 rpg.) and 67 steals (1.1 spg.) in 1,965 total minutes (32.8 mpg.).
McDaniel posted double figures in 37 games, including seven 20-point efforts and two 30-point performances. He scored a career-high 33 points twice in a nearly 2-week span this past season, first at Oregon on Dec. 2, then again vs. Florida on Dec. 19. He knocked down a career 7 3-pointers on 12-of-21 shooting against the Ducks while he made 12-of-13 free throws against the Gators, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
This past season, McDaniel averaged a team-best 16.3 points on 41 percent (151-of-368) shooting, including 36.8 percent (56-of-152) from 3-point range, and 77.4 percent (65-of-84) from the free throw line to go with 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 35.4 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 24 times, including six 20-point outings and a pair of 30-point performances.
In addition to scoring, McDaniel led the Wolverines in field goals attempted (368), 3-point field goals made (56) and attempted (152), free throw percentage (77.4), assists (121), steals (29) and minutes (35.4 mpg.) while he was second in field goals made (151). He ranked in the Big Ten’s top-20 in 8 categories, including 10th in scoring, seventh in assists, eighth in 3-point field goals/game (2.2) and fourth in minutes.
As a true freshman in 2022-23, McDaniel played in all 34 games with 26 starts for a Wolverine team that won 18 games and advanced to the NIT Second Round. He started the last 26 games of the season, including all 20 in Big Ten play, after a season-ending injury to starter Jaelin Llewellyn. He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 12 after posting 15 points, 7 assists and 3 steals in his first start in a win at Minnesota on Dec. 8.
McDaniel averaged 8.6 points on 38.4 percent (104-of-271) shooting, including 35.5 percent (33-of-93) from 3-point range, to go with 3.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes per game as a freshman in 2022-23. He scored in double figures 13 times, including a season-best 20 points in an overtime win over Wisconsin on Feb. 26, 2023. He led the Wolverines in assists (122), while he was second in steals (38) and fourth in scoring. He was the first freshman to post a 100-plus assist season since Trey Burke in 2011-12.
McDaniel was a consensus Top 100 recruit out of St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., leading the Panthers to a 31-5 record and VISAA (Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Association) Division I State Championship as a senior in 2021-22. He was the DMV Elite All-Northern Virginia Player of the Year and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Player of the Year as well as a VISAA Division I All-State First Team selection in 2022.
McDaniel led Paul VI to an 85-22 record in his prep career (not counting the shortened 2020-21 COVID-19 season), including two VISAA Division I State Championships (2020, 2022) and a pair of WCAC Tournament titles.
McDaniel also played for the ultra-successful Team Takeover on the Nike EYBL circuit.
K-State finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 record, including a tie for ninth in the Big 12 with an 8-10 mark, and advanced to the NIT. Among the Wildcats’ 19 victories were 4 over Top 25 teams, including 3 in the Top 10. The team has won 45 games in head coach Jerome Tang’s tenure, including consecutive postseason appearances.